November Growers Guide

The Jacaranda flowers are blooming. The stone fruit are growing juicily for the festive season and the apples are beginning to plump out. Garlic is being pulled and the first tomatoes hang juicily awaiting the addition to your cheese sandwich or summer salad.

Flowers (seeds)

Alysum

Aster
Baby's Breath

Bergamot
Billy Buttons

Borage

Calendula

California Poppy

Carnation

Chrysanthemum

Comfrey

Cornflowers
Cosmos

Dahlia

Delphinium

Dianthus

Echinacea

Everlasting Daisy

Feverfew

Forget me not

Gladioli bulbs

German Chamomile

Hyssop

Impatiens

Larkspur

Lavender

Marigolds

Nasturtium
Petunia

Phlox
Pincushion

Poppy

Salvias

Snapdragon

Sunflower

Sweet William

Verbana

Yarrow

Zinnia

Traditionally, Melbourne Cup day signals the time to report your orchids which have finished flowering and have outgrown their pots.

Mark your spring bulbs with a marker so you know where to dig them out when it is time.

Vegetables (seeds)

Adzuki beans

Amaranth
Artichoke

Asparagus crowns
Basil
Beans

Beetroot
Bitter melon

Burdock
Capsicum

Carob

Carrot

Celery

Chervil

Chickory

Chillies

Chives

Chinese broccoli

Corn

Cucumber

Dill

Eggplant

Endive

Fennel

Garlic chives

Gourd

Kale

Leek

Lemon balm

Lettuce
Luffa

Malabar Spinach

Mizuna

Mustards

Okra

Oregano

Parsley

Peppermint

Perilla

Potatoes

Pumpkin

Purslane

Rocket

Rhubarb

Rockmelon

Rosella

Rosemary

Sage

Salsify
Silverbeet

Sorrel

Spearmint

Spinach

Spring Onion

Squash

Sweet potato

Tamarillo

Tarragon

Thyme

Tomato

Tulsi - Holy Basil

Turnip

Watercress

Watermelon
Zucchini

Tips for growing tomatoes

Add some calcium to your soil if you experienced bloom end rot last year

Fruits

Select citrus trees you want to plant this summer and place them on order
Select persimmon and pomegranate trees you want to plant this summer and place them on order
Select nectarine varieties you want to plant this summer and place an order for these too
Plant mango trees
Plant apricot trees
Plant almond trees
Plant mulberries
Plant peach trees
Transplant kiwifruit vines (one male to every four female plants)
It may not be too late to plant blueberry bushes - try Misty, Brightwell, Sharpe Blue and Powder Blue
Check citrus trees for gall wasp and aphids
Check root stock growth and remove it from grafted trees

Soil, Compost & General

Time to do lots of weeding, if that is your thing
Actively check for snails and other pests
Mulch, mulch, mulch
Check your worm farms are in becoming active OR
Start your own worm farm
Sow a green manure crop like millet, lablab or cow pea.
Lift tulip and other winter bulbs and store for next year
Transplant evergreen shrubs

Tools & Equipment

Make some shade tents in preparation of hot summer sun
Check and maintain your fruit fly traps
Clean and sharpen secateurs and saws for fruit tree pruning
Set your snail traps to protect young growth on plants and fruits such as strawberries
Ensure your irrigation systems are ready for summer

Vegemite Snail Trap: Add a tablespoon of vegemite to an empty jar, fill with water, mix and bury to the rim of the jar. Check and replace as required.

Waterproof Slug Trap: add one cup water, one teaspoon sugar, one teaspoon flour and half a teaspoon of yeast into a plastic container with lid and watch here for more details.

Seed Saving & Harvesting

Harvesting

Snow peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, coriander, carrot, silverbeet, citrus fruit as it ripens, lettuce, spring onions, rhubarb, mustards, spinach, kale, new potatoes, asparagus

Seed saving

Peas and snow peas, rocket, radishes, broccoli, silverbeet

Seed from apples, pears, quinces (store in damp sand)

Check out our seed saving page for more information.